June 21 – The UNHCR took custody of the eight Ethiopian air force pilots who sought political asylum in Belarus yesterday. Today, the pilots’ passports were taken away and they were sent to a location outside of the capital city, Minsk. The pilots said that so far the UNHCR did not provide them with any assistance. They don’t even have money to buy food. The place they are now is not a secure location. The Ethiopian ambassador in Moscow flew to Minsk to talk to the pilots today, but they refused to meet with him. They told ER that they will return to Ethiopia and serve their country only after the Meles regime steps down. They said that the people of Ethiopia paid for their training to protect the country from foreign enemy, not to kill unarmed Ethiopian citizens. Any one who wants to help the pilots, please contact us.
June 13, 11:15 PM – ETC Chairman Dr Taye on VOA today audio Dr Taye said detained students are purposefully exposed to malaria
June 13, 2:35 PM – CUD chief representative in Wollo, Ato Bisrat, has been arrested. Many of his colleagues in Dessie, Wollo, have also been arrested. EPRDF troops are rounding up students and opposition members.
It’s feared that Ato Bisrat and his colleagues are being tortured as a revenge for working to defeat Bereket Simon in Lalibela. Previously, Bereket Simon’s EPRDF agents had burned Ato Bisrat’s his house in Dessie.
Please contact the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ethiopia and request for a visit to check their conditions.
Anna Schaff, ICRC Addis Ababa
tel: + 2511 518 366
Marco Yuri Jiménez Rodríguez, ICRC Geneva
tel: +41 22 730 2271
Also please call these officials:
Kofi Annan: 212 963 2486, fax 212 963 3301
Condoleeza Rice: 202 663 0500
June 13 – UEDF said Tesfaye Adane Jara, who had been elected to parliament in the May 15 polls, was shot dead by police on Sunday in Arsi Negele … AP
Another UEDF member was killed by police at his home in Jeldu in northeast Ethiopia on June 13, according to UEDF President Merara Gudina. AFP
June 13 – The ruling party and two main opposition parties are poised to begin talks today to end their dispute. DPA
Thousands of students and others remain in jail. Their condition is unknown, but it is feared that they are being tortured by starvation.
June 12, 12:59 PM – In Addis Ababa taxi drivers are back to work today after a 5-day strike.
“The strike was only meant to last five days,” one taxi driver told AFP. “Futhermore, it’s difficult to go on strike for long, people need to work.” AFP
June 12, 4:41 AM – In Bahr Dar today, soldiers beaten up students of Tana Hayq High School and took them away to unknown locations. In response, the people went on a general strike. Schools, shops, hotels, etc. are all closed. Troops with armored vehicles and jeeps are patrolling the city.
There is also a general strike in Debre Markos. Every thing has been shut down in the city.
June 12, 3:37 AM – Gonder is under military clamp down today. The local police was forced to disarm by the Agaazi army fearing that it will side with the people. More military equipments are pouring into the city. Upto now, the youth have been the primary target. Now the army is going after farmers who are suspected of supporting the opposition parties. Meles Zenawi’s forces are terrorizing the people of Gonder at this very moment.
June 11 – Meles should face international court for murder, Ethiopian rally in Canberra demanded… ER
JUNE 2005 – Page 7